Fire at 918 Willow trashes building, deli

Late last night, an electrical fire started on the 2nd floor of 918 Willow Avenue. It reached “3 alarm” status as firefighters from Hoboken and Jersey City knocked the blaze down, which crept in the walls, and caused significant damage to the building. D’s Soul Full Cafe(former Bagel Smashery – Josh & Ive’s) on the ground floor, while not damaged by fire – took a significant hit with smoke and water – and will be closed until further notice.

15 people were displaced, but no significant injuries were reported.

What a shoddy start to the new year! But big props to the emergency personnel who prevented further destruction.

Helmers’ Restaurant in Hoboken to close at end of 2014

One of Hoboken’s oldest establishments around – Helmers’ Restaurant – is expected to close for good, on December 31, 2014.

While this may come as a shock and make some people sad, others we spoke with were surprised it took this long. Since the fire of 2006, many say the place “was not the same” when it came to food, beer choices, etc. Who knows the real reason – but regardless of what kind of business you have – you need to “love” what you’re doing for the positive results to materialize.

And besides that, the faltering economy, and bigger, brighter “Euro-style” places like Pilsener Haus & Biergarten providing that “ethnic” like atmosphere may certainly have played a role.

Other people we spoke with said the place has already been rented ($15,500 per month! $186k a year!). Apparently, the place will be “gutted” and the new owners will put a “dance floor” in? Not sure where they did their market research, but that doesn’t sound right. But you never know, maybe that style venue is just what Hoboken is lacking. We’ll see in 2015!

Boxes will always be stolen in Hoboken

6/18/2014 Update:

Living in a multi-unit apartment building has it’s pros and cons. The “mailroom” is one of the cons. So many deliveries ripe for the taking. “Common sense” could solve the problem, but that’s a story for another day. Here’s some info about the current crop of box-nickers in Hoboken.

One thief arrested: Fernando Serrano

Good news, one Fernando Serrano was arrested yesterday. He hails from Union City, NJ. (Thanks 9th St. Light Rail Station for the contribution!)

Don’t worry, he’ll be free again soon – or someone just like him will take the baton.

Another package thief prowling around Hoboken

There’s another box-thief on the loose – as we received this security-footage montage earlier today.

Recognize him? Call Hoboken Police at (201)420-2100 with anything to help put an end to this horrific loss of material goods.

Top 5 Recommendations to avoid lobby theft in Hoboken:

Never have deliveries sent to your apartment if you’re typically not home. As a reminder, you can:

Befriend a local business (dry cleaner, bodega, etc.) and have your shipments sent there,

Use a place like Go Postal that will receive your boxes for a modest fee (and even deliver them when convenient)

Tell your condo to either move or block the mailbox area – or install frosted glass doors outside.

Have your stuff shipped to your work (if you’re not too weak and lazy to use a little effort to carry it home…)

Live in a better building (i.e., with a concierge – but the drawback is that they’ll see you stumble home drunk missing a heel…)

Hoboken resident Carmine Carpino just a petty criminal

Some 73 year old Hoboken resident Carmine Carpino was “picked up” (i.e. “arrested”) for stealing a jalopy in Hackensack the other day. Apparently this geezer has five dozen arrests on his rap sheet during his seven-plus decades being alive.

Previous charges have included shoplifting, “improper behavior” and “lewdness,” amongst several others. Those are fairly consistent with excess alcohol consumption in our opinion (mugshot below is fairly obvious).

Reporting petty crimes (exclusive or not) doesn’t help society

One egocentric tool-bag NJ reporter mentioned this to us the other day, citing “exclusive coverage” of this otherwise useless piece of information. There are millions of petty crimes committed daily. Why we would get our pants warm and fuzzy over a small-time crook like this is beyond explanation.

Why is it that certain meager media outlets get all excited in their “little worlds,” but cannot comprehend the MASSIVE DAILY CRIMES other entities commit (pretty much “legally”) every day?

Price fixing, laws that are unconstitutional, the reduction of our rights, and other “police state” nonsense that is growing more prevalent by the day – but “small time” reporters feel so egotistical with boring shit like a geezer who is just trying to live?

Better questions (rather than just “reporting” on some stupid police reports NO ONE cares about – because they’re ALL cookie cutter) are:

Why is Carmine such a criminal? Where did he go wrong? Why is he so old – yet still feels the need to steal? Does he have government income?

Has he hurt anyone lately? Who are his victims? “Things,” “People,” “Monetary units?”

Does he have a drug problem? Why? How did it happen?

Where is his family? Does he have one? Any kids?

What kind of skills does he have? Did he go to school? Where did he work?

These types of stories are what keeps the dopey local “evening news” in business. Because all of you enable it. “OH, one guy hit another guy over the head with a sock of marbles and took his wallet!” or “Wow, a car plowed into a bodega and someone got hurt…”

I guess these things might be relevant, because the people immediately in the vicinity might be curious about what happened. But someone 20 or 50 blocks away? Does it really matter at that point? Why not just yearn to learn about EVERY SINGLE TRAFFIC MISHAP GLOBALLY? You’d NEVER figure it all out. It’s all just “local.”

In the end – whether you label yourself as a “journalist,” “reporter,” or “correspondent,” it doesn’t matter – unless you inspire THOUGHT in your readers. A good “writer” will challenge conventional wisdom, and break barriers to what is otherwise known as “groupspeak.”

The story about this petty criminal – despite his “long rap sheet” has more behind it. “So fucking what” he did what he did. More important is asking WHY it happened, and how to find a deeper meaning to it all. Sometimes the net result of our ridiculous society is insanity – and justifiably so.